Runoff election in Greece scheduled for June 25

Athens: A runoff election has been scheduled in Greece for June 25, after no single party could secure a parliamentary majority in the May 21 polls.

Despite the ruling conservative New Democracy party winning the first round with 40.79 per cent of the votes, the runoff was scheduled since there was no majority, reports Xinhua news agency.

Since subsequent efforts to form a coalition government failed, a caretaker government led by a senior judge was sworn in last week to lead the country to the next election.

The June 25 ballot will be held under an electoral system that provides for a bonus of up to 50 extra seats for the winning party, facilitating the formation of a single-party government.

Under this system, the frontrunner could gain an absolute majority in parliament with around 38 per cent of the vote, political analysts say.

In the 2019 general elections, ND had won 39.8 per cent of the vote with 158 seats in Parliament, and the main opposition party, SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance 31.5 per cent of the votes with 86 seats.

–IANS

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